Walter Benjamin: Fragments of Redemption in a Modern World

How did a "pearl-diver" of the past become a defining voice of the modern age? Walter Benjamin (1892–1940) sought out fragments of redemption in the ruins of civilization, creating a legacy that continues to bridge the gap between Jewish mysticism and modern Marxist thought. In his new book, The Pearl Diver, from Yale's Jewish Lives series, Peter Gordon provides a vivid look at the romanticism and modernism that shaped this essential German-Jewish thinker. Moving beyond the image of a tragic figure, we explore Benjamin's complex life—from his sheltered Berlin childhood to his years of Parisian exile—to portray a personality of unique and enduring gifts.